Carnival Cruise Ship Stranded Off Mexico Coast After Fire

Like something from a ’70s disaster movie, 3,300 passengers on board the Carnival Splendor found themselves stuck out to sea off the coast of Mexico after a fire in the engine room.

The ship had been running on auxiliary power since the fire occurred yesterday morning, and a statement on the Carnival site says the crew has been unable to restore additional power to the vessel. The company says tug boats are on their way to the ship, which is stuck around 200 miles southwest of San Diego.

As of this morning, passenger were left without “several key hotel systems, including air conditioning, hot food service and telephones are not available,” though the crew was able to restore toilets and cold running water to the cabins.

The stranded passengers will be receiving a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs. Carnival says they will also be throwing in a “a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.”

Says the Carnival president:

We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience. Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible.

Carnival Splendor Update [Carnival.com]

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